1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to and has among its objects novel immune serum globulins and novel methods for their production. Particularly, the invention is concerned with immune serum globulins having a high titer of naturally occurring antibody to lipopolysaccharide antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Further objects of the invention will be evident from the following description wherein parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hyperimmune serum globulins, i.e., immune serum globulin having high titers of a particular antibody, are therapeutically useful in treating patients with antibody immunodeficiency. For example, tetanus hyperimmune globulin is useful in treating tetanus and rabies hyperimmune globulin, rabies. It is well known that hyperimmune serum globulins can be produced from plasma or serum obtained from selected donors who have much higher titers for a specific antibody than is normally found in the average population. These donors have either been recently immunized with a particular vaccine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,388) or else they have recently recovered from an infection or disease [Stiehm, Pediatrics, Vol. 63, No. 1, 301-319 (1979)]. These high titer sera or plasmas are pooled and subjected to the usual Cohn fractionation procedures up to the point of isolating Fraction II [Cohn et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 68, 459 (1946) and Oncley, et al, ibid., 71, 541 (1949)].
Although infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is not common among the general population, P. aeruginosa infection is encountered very frequently in certain susceptible groups of patients. Burn victims and immunosuppressed cancer patients have been identified as having an unusually high risk of acquiring severe, and sometimes fatal, P. aeruginosa infection. P. aeruginosa infections are usually acquired during a hospital stay, not at home.
P. aeruginosa is resistant to penicillin G. A combination of P. aeruginosa specific penicillin and an aminoglycoside is the usual therapy for P. aeruginosa sepsis and has greatly contributed to the survival of patients, particularly leukemics. The management of P. aeruginosa in burn patients is also dependent upon topical antimicrobial therapy.
James et al, in The Lancet, 13 December 1980, 1263-1265, described passive immunization of burn patients at risk of septicaemia. The immunization was accomplished with an immunoglobulin prepared from plasma from healthy human volunteers vaccinated with a polyvalent Pseudomonas vaccine. There is, of course, some risk in vaccinating healthy volunteers in order to increase their titer of antibody in plasma.
Zaia et al in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 137, No. 5, 601-604 (1978) disclosed a practical method for preparation of Varicella-Zoster (VZ) Immune Globulin. Outdated blood was screened for complement-fixing antibody to VZ virus. About 15% of the plasma units had a titer greater than or equal to 16, with about 7.5% greater than or equal to 32.
Fisher et al have identified seven non-cross-protective immunotypes of P. aeruginosa (Fisher et al, Journal of Bacteriology, May 1969, p. 835-836, which is incorporated herein by reference). The authors developed an antigen scheme for P. aeruginosa based on challenge protection in mice as distinguished from serological tests in vitro.